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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Silhouette Studio Tutorial: How to make Gift Tags using Print-and-Cut

By now you would probably have seen the new Nancy Happy Holiday sets on the Lettering Delights website. I couldn't have been more happy when I saw the sets. Nancy Kubo is one of my favorite designers and her Create-A-Critter cartridge is the only reason why I still have my Cricut Expression in my house. Well, and that my kids wanted me to keep the cutter. Anyway.....with Nancy's designs now available on the Lettering Delights site, it really feels like it's a dream come true!! I'm not going to get all sappy about it but I'm really overjoyed that what I had once fantasized about has now become a reality.

As the MTC plug-in for the Cameo was released when I was away on vacation, I really haven't had time to play with it yet. At the moment I am really liking the print-and-cut capability of the Silhouette Studio with the Silhouette Cameo and so for today's tutorial, that is exactly what I am going to use.

Christmas is but a few days away and I hope that today's tutorial will help when you run out of gift tags. Late at night. When all the stores are closed. :-P

IMPORTANT:

If you find this tutorial helpful, please click the LIKE button below or leave a comment. Your feedback helps me decide if I should continue posting these types of tutorials. Let me know if they are too simple or long-winded or if I should cut down on the details. Also, please let me know if it is necessary to have both written and video tutorials. Should I just post the video?

Thanks!

UPDATE: I just realize that I didn't include the instruction for making the larger green base.

To make it, just do an offset of the gift tag. Set the Offset distance to about 0.12". When cutting, "switch on" the cut lines for it and the twine/ribbon hole.

I feel silly, but am new to the Silhouette and am having trouble between steps 5 and 6. I do not understand the release compound path and how to get rid of the bear's outline in the lower box. If you could help that would be great. Thanks!

Thanks so much for this tutorial and all the tutorials, especially the videos. I am a visual person and really appreciate the videos but the written instruction helps too. So thanks for both. I love the tags and will now make some myself. K

I so appreciate your tutorials! I just got a Silhouette cameo and with your tutorials, I feel I am now ready to begin using the machine. You make things so much easier to understand! Thank you so much!!! Love the tags!

I appreciate both styles (written and video) but if I just want a quick overview of what you're showing, I love that there's the step by step written version with photos. Thanks for all of your hard work over the year and happy holidays!

Thank you so much for posting these! They are so helpful and the videos really assist me in knowing how to work my machine! I like when you explain why you choose to do something a certain way instead of another way. It also really helps! Thank you for thinking of us newbies & inspiring our creativity!

Thanks for all the tutorials. I just got my Cameo and am still exploring design studio software. When I have more time I need to go through a whole tutorial so I can grasp what you are doing! Still not familiar with terminology like offset. Lots to learn, but wouldn't be able to without your help!

Wonderful tutorial and adorable tags! Thank you so much for posting both the video and written. I prefer watching the video and then having the written instructions to be able to refer to when I am making a project. I have a Silhouette and rarely use it because I am intimidated by all the features...however, you have inspired me! I am going to get it out right now and play. Thanks so much for the inspiration and tutorials:o)

I went online yesterday and bought the Cut It set to use with my Silhouette. I don't know if I am doing something wrong, but when I try to open them in my Silhouette Studio software it tells me that the files can't be open. Please help! Am I doing something wrong? I didn't think I needed 3rd party software (I don't have MTC yet) but maybe I am wrong...

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I appreciate your feedback as it helps me decide how I should present my tutorials.

@Mollie, to use SVGs with the Silhouette Studio program, you will need to use the Designer Upgrade or a 3rd party software like Make-the-Cut. If you had purchased the Lettering Delights CUT IT set, you can use the included DXF or GSD formats with the regular (free) Sil Studio program but you may have to fill in the colors for print-and-cut.

Your tutorials are SUPER FANTASTIC!!! I know its alot of work but I like them both (written/video)!! My silhouette will be coming this Easter...LOL!! You make the silhouette look like it's going to be a BLAST to play with...I can hardly wait. Your blog for the silhouette is the BEST!!!!THANKS!!

Your video tutorials have helped me become familiar with my new Cameo. Please continue to make them! I would have never thought of creating gift tags with this LD set. Now, I plan to make several today. I have re-watched the video about 5 tmes already. I am using the SVG set and want to make sure I am not missing any steps. I think I'm ready! Thanks so much, Jin.

Also, just wanted to mention that I am new to the world of Cameo and MTC and SCAL. I would LOVE to see more video tutorials where you use Silhouette Studio with SVG files (guess you need the Desginer version for that? Right? I don't have that yet, but I already see the need.) Or, possibly using MTC to alter svg files (such as the gift tag) to be cut with the Cameo. I am very unfamiliar with MTC but have owned it for several months. Thanks again for your insppiration, Jin!

I LOVE your tuts Jin. I have enjoyed them so much and have learned so much from them.

Now that I have the Zing and not the Cameo, I did not read this tutorial for the Cameo. I do have the Silhouette SD, which is a great little machine, but I don't want to do print and cut on it, it's too small of an area anyway. I am going to attempt some pnc on my zing.

I started by following the written instructions, but found I needed the video. I used the trace outer edge and couldn't get the offset to follow the shape until I went back and did it your way. Is there really a difference between trace and trace outer edge in this application? Thank you very much for your instructions. I am new to digitial cutting. I do find the studio software very intuitive.

Jin, you're a genius. I think you can add foreign language interpreter to your resume. When I was trying to figure out how to bring in a graphic and cut it in Sil, the instructions I found might as well have been in Greek. LOL! You have made me feel brave enough to actually try this myself. Thank you for your wonderful tutorial. Love the video for visual and the written to go step by step. Thanks!

My Cameo should be here tomorrow! thanks so much for your tutorials. I love the video and appreciate that you take the extra time to write out the tutorial too. The video is nice to watch so you can understand exactly what you do as you do it and the printed tutorial is nice to have while you are actually cutting. I have never done a print and cut with my SD, so I am planning to give it a try once I get my Cameo. Thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into your tutorials! Happy New Year!

Awesome tutorial. The step by step directions along with video are extremely helpful. I appreciate the time you take in making these tutorials Wishing you and your family a safe, happy and healthy new year.

I appreciate your tutorials. I just received my new Silhouette Cameo for Christmas. I wish there were more tutorials about image manipulation, cut styles, make/release compound paths,modify options (welding, intersectng, dividing,etc.) The user's manual describes all of these, but it's different seeing them in practice and I want to see how they are actually used in certain situations. Your tutorials are so much more helpful when you see these put in practice. Is there any other source that describes how to use these options with examples? Thank you again for taking time to do this and in sharing your knowledge.

Hi Jin- Great tutorials. I just made some tags following your tutorial, trying to learn how to use the Silhouette Designer Edition. I do like both the video and written tutorials. Any idea why I get a double cut then I set the outside line to cut, and everyting else to no cut, and the double cut feature is un-checked? You are pretty awesome- thanks for sharing your talents.

I didn't get my Cameo until the 25th, but I can't tell you how very much I appreciate your video and picture tutorial!!! :) Thank you so much for taking the time!!!!!!!! They are extremely helpful!!!!!!!!!! You are a big reason that I am buying from Lettering Delights, too!

Thank you so much for this wonderful tute. I love the pictorial one, helps me follow better... one step at a time:)

Need a small help though.. i have the silhouette sd and when i am using the Graphic set with .png extension and then try and trace as you mentioned in Step 3, my computer just logs off/crashes every single time... i tried 3-4 times but it's the same story again and again. Pls advise where am i going wrong. I was trying to create a tag using one of the Frog images.

Also, i guess svg files won't work n silhouette directly? what do i need to make them work here. Is there an svg to .Studio converter available? If yes, could you guide me where?

Hi Jin, this is a great tutorial. Thank you so much! I just got my cutter, and this was my very first project on it. I was completely successful! I blogged it here, if you are interested! http://peasinapod.typepad.com/peas-in-a-pod/2012/05/more-on-may-baskets-making-gift-tags-giveaway.html Thank you again! I really enjoy your blog and projects.

Oh, P.S. I'm with Vicki....I love the videos. They are great. I also love the print instructions. Would it be possible to have the print instructions in a downloadable format (i.e., a PDF) so I can download them, print them, and save them? It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for considering the suggestion.

My Cameo should arrive tomorrow and this will be the first project I wll attempt. I normally prefer having video tutorials, but when there are so many steps it is so awesome to have all of the individual screen shots. TFS,

Hi found the tutorial on YouTube and was so grateful to see the link to the blog spot and picture tutorial. I have only had the cameo 2 days and I was very confused. It just does so much but instructions are lacking. You have helped so much! Thank you!

I was referred to your tutorial from LD; I had inquired about how to use their Print and Cut images on my Cameo (how it would compare to how I currently use Silhouette images for Print and Cut). Anyway, thanks for the tutorial, and I really appreciate the written instructions. Otherwise, I have to keep starting and stopping the videos as I try to frantically take notes. Myself personally, tend to use written tutorials more than video, but I am sure I am not the norm.Thanks for sharing your talents and creativity!Stacy

Jin, I don't know what I would do without your video tutorials! They have helped me tremendously! You have the BEST tutorials out there! PLEASE keep them coming! I would love to see more print and cut with the silhouette cameo SSDE!

Jin Thanks for the Tutorial! I don't even have a silhouette yet, but I still look at all of them to judge if I can really learn how to do it all or not. I'm still cussing my way along with my Cricut product.

Thanks for this post, I received a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas from my hubby and have been to afraid to open the box lol. Over the Easter weekend I am off work and am going to open it up! This is exactly what I wanted to try to make, some gift tags for our summer reception to celebrate our wedding.Thanks you so very much!